Footloose and Soul Free
by Jensen Jones
Summary: The moment Angel and Spike stepped into the room, they knew it was enchanted, but it was too late... This is my take on what might happen if Spike lost his soul. Happens in Buffyverse after the end of Buffy Season 7, about mid-season of Angel season 5. Trying to make it as canon as possible.
1. Gone

"I really hate negotiating," Angel mumbled moodily as he walked up the wide marble steps to the demon lord's stone mansion.

"I would too, if I sucked at it like you do," Spike had sympathised. "You want me just to handle it Angel?"

Angel had wanted to do this alone and not put anyone's lives at risk. Other than Spike's. Spike was following him like a ghost haunting him, even though he was corporeal now, and should, you would think, have better things to do. Like calling Buffy. Not that Angel wanted him to. He didn't. But it did seem odd that Spike still hadn't, to Angel's knowledge, even let Buffy know he was alive. Surely the longer he left it the more awkward it was going to be. Not Angel's problem, of course. He didn't care if Buffy never found out.

"No, I don't want you interfering. In fact," Angel turned to face him, "you're staying in the car unless you promise not to say anything in there. _Anything_ , Spike. _I'm_ doing the talking."

"Right you are boss," Spike agreed. "Not what I was suggesting anyways," he added under his breath.

"What then? What do you suggest, huh?" Angel was easily annoyed these days by people questioning his decisions. As if he didn't question them enough himself. It was hard being CEO of an evil law firm when you weren't evil.

"That demon-lord. I'll kill him if you want. Can't exactly perform human sacrifices when he's dead."

"It's not that simple," Angel tried not to sound as frustrated as he felt. "I wish it was, but it's not."

"He's evil, right? Isn't that what we're supposed to do now we have souls, fight evil?" Spike asked.

Angel sighed. Had Spike learned nothing from getting his hands chopped off by that psychotic slayer that time? It never worked to rush in and start killing things willy-nilly, even if they were evil demons. "It won't help, Spike. Could even make things worse. Some other demon will just take his place. Maybe one that's even more blood-thirsty. One that's not willing to negotiate."

Spike shrugged. "Well, let me know if you change your mind. Just here to help."

"Right, of course you are. Here to help."

Now they found themselves being shown into the foyer of the large mansion by a rather poshly dressed demon servant. "My lordship says you may both enter," he said. "On the condition your valuables be surrendered as you pass through the cloakroom."

"What valuables?" Angel scoffed. "Is he expecting gifts?"

"My coat's valuable," Spike pointed out. "To me, anyways. You're not getting it off me."

"We don't want that thing, I can assure you," the usher said eying Spike's coat with disdain. He turned up his nose. "My master is hardly interested in such material possessions."

"Fine. Whatever. Just let us through." Angel strode ahead impatiently and two large demons heaved open the stone doors for them.

As soon as Spike and Angel stepped into the 'cloak room' and the doors were heaved shut behind them, Spike felt an all-consuming sense of dread overwhelm him. Some kind of dark magic was seeping in and taking hold of him. He panicked internally and looked towards Angel.

"Oh shit," Angel seemed to sense something also and immediately turned back to try and reopen the heavy doors with clawing fingers. "No!" Angel shouted in anger that quickly turned to anxious desperation. "Not this! Spike, we have to get out of here now! Oh God, not again!" He fell to his hands and knees before the unrelenting cold stone.

Spike leaned back against the wall, feeling as though he was being ripped apart. "Angel?" he asked, horrified that Angel not only seemed also to be experiencing the same ordeal as he was, but that he seemed to recognise it. "You know what this is?"

"This room must be enchanted," Angel gasped. "It's too late. Our valuables. They're gone." He got slowly to his feet and turned to Spike. "The most valuable things we possess have been taken from us." A slow smile was spreading across Angel's face and his dark eyes gleamed. "Our souls are gone."

As Angel said the words out loud, Spike knew it was true. A profound emptiness at the core of his being, a cold desolation he had endured for the majority of his long existence, it was unmistakable. He fell to the ground overcome with conflicting emotions, choking back what he thought were sobs but when they burst forth he found himself laughing like a maniac. He and Angelus. After all this time. Who'd have thought it could happen? Footloose and soul-free and together again. This was going to be one crazy night!


	2. Make the Call

"Feels good, huh?" Angelus grinned at Spike offering him a hand.

Spike managed to control himself enough to let the other vampire pull him to his feet. Then he cracked up again, leaned against Angelus as crazy bursts of laughter wracked through him until it hurt. Angelus became impatient and slammed him against the wall. "Okay, that's enough. Get a grip, Spike. You promised to be quiet, remember? So shut it." He turned and opened the next set of stone doors with a firm heave. "Let's do what we came here to do."

"Negotiate?" Spike managed to ask, wiping tears from his face, as he tried to pull himself together, what was left of him.

"I _really_ hate negotiating," Angelus swore, repeating his exact words from earlier, only this time he spoke them with venom, as he strode with utter confidence into the next room, where the powerful demon-lord sat at a large stone table opening his mail with a silver letter opener. "And you were right Spike, I _do_ suck at it. I really do."

"Ah," the large demon looked up. The delicate gold crown he wore brought into sharp focus the ugliness of his features. "I've been waiting for you Angel."

"Nice 'cloakroom' service you have set up there," Angelus commented. "Never come across that one before."

"Ah, yes," the demon chuckled. "A precautionary measure. I hope you won't hold that against me." He noticed the other vampire had also slunk into the room. "Either of you."

"On the contrary," Angelus assured him. "Spike will no doubt give you his heartfelt thanks as soon as he can make words again. He's pretty chuffed," he assured the demon-lord. He frowned. "Guess I should be grateful too but the thing is," Angel glanced slyly at the other demon, "without a soul, well, I've been told I have a little trouble expressing the more sympathetic emotions. Like gratitude. It's a problem I have." He hung his head a little in an unconvincing imitation of shame. "I could tell you I'm working on it. But I'm not. I'm really not." He looked up and spoke with utter insincerity. "Sorry."

"For what? Are you going to try to stop me from performing human sacrifice?"

Angel smiled and leaned in. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"As I hoped," the demon-lord grinned back.

While Angelus was talking to the demon-lord, Spike crept to the far corner of the room, and crouched down behind a heavy piece of furniture. Keeping one eye on Angelus to make sure he was preoccupied, Spike took out his cell phone and called the top number on him 'favourite caller' list.

"Hi Buffy," he spoke as quietly as he could. "It's me, Spike. God, how I've missed you," he confessed with heartfelt passion, paused, then added darkly, "You won't believe what's happened."


	3. Handle It

Spike crouched in the corner, out of Angelus's sight, as he left his message on Buffy's voicemail. He tried to make it as short as he could. He couldn't risk Angelus suspecting anything. "Hope you've been good, love. Alive and well and what have you. Dawn too. I should've called sooner. Don't know why I didn't." He really had no idea why he hadn't called until now. "Can't talk too much right now," he admitted, eyeing Angelus. "Listen. Something's happened you should know about. Angelus is back. But don't worry. About anything. I got it all under control." He grinned. "I'm gonna save the day. Talk soon, love. Bye." He hung up and glared at the unsuspecting Angelus who was still deep in conversation with the demon-lord. "Bastard's gonna get what's coming to him," Spike swore.

Angel was still preoccupied with the demon-lord, so Spike risked another quick call. "Hey Fred," he greeted her quietly, glad someone was still at the office at this late hour.

"Spike! Are you and Angel okay? Did you stop that sacrifice? Can I help at all?"

"No, we're not. We haven't yet. And yes, I need your help," Spike said in an urgent whisper.

"All right," Fred replied nervously.

"You still got that big strong cage you lot built to hold Angelus?"

"Sure, it's here somewhere. Maybe in storage. Why?"

"Get it out. He's back."

"What? Angelus is back? How? Is he there with you, Spike? Oh, that's why you're whispering? Oh god! Please be careful Spike! Don't do anything risky. I'll get the team together. We need to make a plan. This is serious."

"No, I got this, Fred. Just have that cage ready." Spike hung up quickly because Angelus had started an argument with the demon-lord and it was getting heated.

Spike slunk towards them cautiously.

"I told you, I don't negotiate," Angelus barked. "The sacrifices will take place when _I_ want, in the way _I_ want. And _I_ choose which humans to sacrifice." He saw Spike approaching. "Spike! We should bring in the team. Wes, Gunn and Fred offered to help earlier, right? I think we're gonna need them after all."

"You do?" Spike had not yet cottoned on to what Angel was suggesting.

"Oh, yeah. They're gonna play a _crucial_ role in this human sacrifice."

"No," the demon-lord defied Angelus. "The sacrifice subjects have already been chosen."

"Can you believe this jerk?" Angelus asked Spike angrily. "How about we handle this the way you suggested earlier, huh?"

"Sure thing, boss," Spike responded.

Angelus turned back to the demon-lord threateningly. "I'm going to cut out your still-beating heart and eat it in front of you, while Spike slowly claws your head from your body with his bare hands!"

"Is that how we kill his kind?" Spike asked.

Angelus shrugged. "Maybe. It's just what I feel like doing. Guess we'll find out soon."

They both enthusiastically attacked the demon-lord before he even knew what was happening. His golden crown fell to the ground unnoticed. The small clang as it hit the stone floor was drowned out by the sound of his blood-curdling screams, Spike ripping into him with fists and fangs, Angelus brandishing the silver letter opener as an instrument of torture. Just like old times.

….

Spike and Angelus swaggered into the Wolfram and Hart offices, bloody from slaughtering the demon-lord and his minions. Angelus strode straight towards his office and Spike followed close behind, crossing his fingers that Fred had got his text messages.

"When I called Wesley, Fred and Gunn they all said they'd be here, even though it's well after work hours," Angelus grinned. "They really do whatever I ask. They must really trust me. Fools."

"Yeah, guess they do," Spike agreed, hoping Fred had read the frantic text messages he'd managed to send in the car without Angelus noticing. "Bunch of losers."

"Finally," Angelus commented in a friendly manner to Spike as he pulled open the doors to his office. "Fresh human blood. It's been too long."

The moment they entered his empty office and he heard the doors being locked and barricaded behind him Angelus realised he'd been played. He turned and saw the cage in the far corner of his office. So that was the plan. And the only one who knew his soul was gone was Spike. He shook his head and tut-tutted. "Spike, I'm disappointed in you, boy."

Spike stood up as tall as he could before Angelus. "The thing about you Angelus, you can't understand something like loyalty or…"

"You think you're being loyal? Ha!" Angelus interrupted. "That's real funny, Spike. To who? I'll tell you what I understand," Angelus slowly circled towards him. "I understand _dis_ loyalty. You _really_ thought you could go behind _my_ back and get _away_ with it? Play the hero? Thought you could pull that off? You know what? I'm not disappointed, Spike. I'm impressed! Soul or no soul, you just don't _get_ it, do you?"

"Get what?" Spike was affronted.

"No point explaining," Angelus mocked. "You never learn Spike. Only one way to teach you." In a flash Angelus threw Spike against the wall and the fight was on. "Probably still won't get through to you," Angelus took a punch, morphed into his vampire face and deflected the next one, slamming Spike to the ground again. "But I'll enjoy the process."

"Not as much as I will," Spike snarled, and lunged at Angel, ready to do some serious damage.

….

When the doors to the office were unlocked again, Spike, battered but victorious, was standing over Angel who was sprawled at his feet. "You can stop now, Spike," Angel gasped. "No need to put me in the cage now, you moron. It's over."

Spike had heard the door unlocked and began speaking before taking his eyes from his vanquished adversary. "Thought I told you lot to stay out of this until…" As Spike turned his head towards the door, his words faltered. His face changed back to human form.

Gunn, Wes and Fred and Lorne had entered, brandishing crossbows and other weapons that they trained on Angel, but it was the small unarmed blonde figure in the centre who strode forward unafraid.

"Buffy?" Spike's jaw almost dropped. She lit up the room even more than he remembered.

"I got your message, Spike," Buffy announced, with a toss of her hair as she looked up at him. "Willow and I managed to take a detour and swing by. Lucky coincidence we were in the neighbourhood, I guess." She walked right up to Spike and looked into his eyes. "Thank you for calling me," she smiled a dazzling smile that made all his pain and weariness melt away. "I've missed you too."

Spike slipped his arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her in for a long-awaited passionate kiss.


	4. Wrong

The perfect kiss Spike was expecting did not happen. Buffy gently but firmly pushed his arms away and turned from him. He was confused and disappointed.

"Angel," Buffy knelt and cupped the fallen vampire's face in her hands. "Are you okay?"

Spike angrily pulled her away from him. "What the hell! Get away from him! That's Angelus right there, remember? Homicidal, sadistic, blood-thirsty killer. You're choosing him over me?"

Buffy turned to him. "Spike, he has his soul back now," she explained. "Willow's in the next room. She just finished the gypsy curse to restore his soul."

"What?" Spike's eyes widened. That was why Angelus had faltered towards the end of their fight, why he'd abruptly stopped himself from so viciously attacking Spike. Maybe it was the only reason Spike had won in the end.

"Hey," Buffy turned back to Angel, as she helped him to sit up. "It's okay now. You're back. It's over."

"Buffy?" Angel wiped his eyes, and stared at her like she was a dream. His head was still foggy. He knew he'd lost his soul and could feel he had it back now, but the details of what had happened where still coming together. And how and why was Buffy suddenly here? "Did I kill anyone?" Angel needed to know before anything else. "There was blood. So much blood. And bones cracking. I remember the crunch."

Spike winced. He remembered it too. Other bones, but especially his own. He was trying ignore the pain and not put weight on his left leg. "We didn't kill anyone," Spike assured Angel and the rest of them. "Not humans anyway. Only demons."

Wesley had brought over the first aid kit and he and Fred also knelt beside Angel, helping to remove his jacket so they could attend to his wounds.

"That was close," Lorne said, putting his weapons down. "Boy am I glad we didn't need to use these."

"For once, me too," Gunn agreed. "I'm just glad Angel's back. Everything's all right now I guess."

Spike stared at them all fussing over Angel. "How can you say that? Everything's all right? It's bloody well not _all right_!" Spike grabbed his head in with his hands, so many conflicting feelings surging through him, but anger won out. "This is… _all wrong_!"

"Hey, calm down, blondie," Lorne told him, "What's wrong? Sure, you hurt Angel-cakes pretty bad, but he'll be healed up in no time."

"What's _wrong_?" Spike raged, almost hysterical. "Why the _hell_ is everything _always_ about _Angel_? You'd all be _dead_ if it wasn't for _me_! I saved you all. From _him_! And still _he_ gets it all from you lot!"

"We're very grateful for what you did, Spike." Wesley looked up, startled by Spike's selfish outburst. "That goes without saying. There'll be time for congratulations later. Right now we need to make sure Angel is…"

"Knew I should've killed him," Spike swore. "Why _didn't_ I? _And_ you lot. So long as _Angel's_ okay! So long as _Angel_ gets his soul back! You don't care about _me_ , or what _I_ might do! After _everything_ I've done?" Then Spike realised something. "You don't know, do you? None of you. You're all blind fools!" He laughed dryly in a way Angel's team had never heard. They gaped at Spike in shocked silence. Angel's team had seen him angry before, mostly at Angel of course, but this was different. He seemed genuinely unhinged.

Spike suddenly noticed their incredulous faces on him. "What are you all staring at?" he asked defensively.

"Spike, get a hold of yourself!" Buffy hissed urgently, feeling herself grow cold as her subconscious leapt to an understanding.

Spike lunged forward, ignoring the searing pain in his leg, and grabbed her. "I'll get a hold of _you_! You're supposed to be with _me_ now, Buffy," he claimed. "I've done everything. _Everything_ for you. Saved the world, didn't I? I'm a champion now, right?" His tone became more desperate and pleading with each word. "You love me," he insisted, dropping his voice and pulling her to him. "You _said_ you did. You said you _loved_ me. Last words you spoke before I went up in flames. Didn't believe you at the time but…" He ran his hand through her hair. "But you've never lied to me, Buffy. Tell me it wasn't a lie."

"It wasn't," Buffy admitted. In that moment, when their hands burst into flames she had truly loved him for the first time.

"Then why won't you…" Again he leaned in to kiss her. When she still pulled back he suddenly tightened his fist in her hair.

Buffy threw him off her and he stumbled heavily against Angel's desk. "Spike, what happened to you?" she asked him. This was not the Spike who'd sacfificed himself in the hell mouth. This was the old obsessive Spike who couldn't understand the meaning of no. She turned to Wesley and Fred who were still looking stunned and horrified. "Has Spike been this nuts the whole time he's been back?" Buffy asked.

Fred shook her head. "I've never seen him act this way. There's clearly something wrong."

"Well, yeah. This is _all_ wrong," Spike pulled himself up. "I told you already. You weren't supposed to be here, Buffy! Not _yet_. Not before I..."

At that moment Willow entered the room. "What's all the hullabaloo? The spell worked, didn't it? Please tell me I don't have to do the whole thing again. I'm almost out of wormwood. But I think I can repeat it if I have to."

Spike rushed clumsily at Willow. He grabbing her and shook her violently. "Willow, you're gonna do that spell again!"

"Why, for heaven's sake?" Wesley asked. "It worked. Angel has his soul back."

Still holding Willow forcefully, Spike turned to them. "Not for Angel, you git. For _me_. I want _my_ soul back too, you know."


	5. Caged

Suddenly Spike found weapons aimed at him. Lorne and Gunn had picked up their discarded crossbows lightning fast. Willow threw a spell at him and he fell to his knees as magic bindings clasped his hands and feet tightly together.

"Hey! What's this all about?" Spike objected loudly as Gunn and Buffy grabbed hold of him. "Not fair!" They hauled him into the cage that was meant for Angelus. "I helped you! You'd all be dead if it weren't for me! I'm on your side you bloody imbeciles! Let me out!" They showed no signs of changing their minds.

Once Wesley had locked Spike in, Willow broke her restraint spell and Angel's team all backed a safe distance away from the cage as Spike snarled and lunged forward, grabbing the solid bars with straining fists. "I should've let Angelus suck you all dry! Or done it myself! Ungrateful bastards, the lot of you!"

Buffy interrupted his rant. "Spike, control yourself," she told him sternly through the bars. "Just calm down. You know we can't release you until you have your soul back. It's too risky." She stared him down.

"Fine," Spike gave in, managing to lower his voice. "Keep me tied up. But you don't need to cage me like a bloody animal," he whined. "Just lost my temper a bit, that's all," he said with a sniff. "I won't _do_ anything. I swear. Saved them all from Angelus didn't I? Besides, I _want_ my soul back!"

"I know," Buffy said quietly. She could see he was genuinely upset at the way he was being treated, but he just didn't seem to fully understand the necessity.

"Well?" he asked expectantly.

"Spike," Buffy paused. "I _believe_ that you're _trying_ to do the right thing. But you're more dangerous than you realise. I mean listen to yourself. The things you're saying. Your judgement is obviously flawed. The fact that you don't see that, that you really _think_ you'd never hurt us? That kind of proves it. I'm sorry."

Spike glared at her, then frowned as if trying hard to understand, "Thought I'd changed, Buffy. And you said you believed in me. But, what? I'm an evil thing again, just like that? To be treated like a monster? Is that what I deserve?"

Buffy sighed. "I know this is hard for you. But you're not yourself until you get your soul back. I'm really sorry Spike but we can't trust you. You can't trust yourself. You know this, Spike. Isn't this why you wanted your soul back in the first place?"

After a moment he seemed to give up and accept Buffy's better judgement on the situation. "Okay. You know what's right, Buffy. If I can't trust myself then… I trust you. Just tell Red to hurry up."

"Willow's setting everything up now. It won't take long. Just sit tight, okay?" She turned to leave.

"Buffy, wait!" Spike called.

"What?"

"That's it? Don't you want to… I mean, can't we talk?"

"Of course I want to talk, Spike," Buffy told him kindly. "But I think we should wait until you have your soul back. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

"But what if I never…"

"Trust me."

Buffy left Spike sitting anxious and frustrated in the cage and went to talk to Angel's team.

….

"Wow, you sure have the magic touch," Lorne commented. He and the others were impressed by how Buffy had so swiftly calmed down their soulless friend. They were still reeling from the realisation that Spike had lost his soul and they had not known immediately.

"So they both lost their souls?" Fred realised glancing across the room to where Spike sat behind bars.

"I should've seen it right away," Buffy admitted. "The signs were all there. Even that message he left me was a little off. I was just thrown by the Spike not being dead factor, to consider that he might be evil again."

"But Spike helped us capture Angelus" Fred gushed. "He fought on our side even without a soul. That's not evil, that's amazing!"

"Spike's kinda on a side all of his own," Buffy said ruefully. "You're probably just lucky you fell on his side of the line." She didn't really want to discuss Spike's soulless behaviour.

"When he called me, he did fail to mention that he'd also lost his soul," Fred frowned. "But if he'd told me, I guess I wouldn't have gone along with his plan so…he did the right thing."

"Sure he did," Buffy agreed, "The right thing for him. Or at least what he thought was the right thing to get what he thought he wanted. Or something." She was eager for the conversation to move on. "Fred, do you think you could help Willow get everything ready? I just want soul-having Spike back, okay?"

"Sure," Fred nodded, then hesitated. "Are you going to stay with him?"

"I want to check on Angel first." Wesley and Gunn had taken him upstairs to his room. "Find out exactly how this happened. Make sure it won't happen again."

"What about Spike?" She glanced at the lonesome vampire's form crouched in the cage like a wild animal.

Buffy glanced across the room. "Maybe it's best he has a little alone time."

"But…"

"Fred, I get that you feel for him. But you don't know him like I do. Not without a soul. So stay away from him, okay? He's still dangerous. Believe me."

….

"Is it done yet?" Spike yelled. He couldn't sit quietly any longer. He hated being left all alone, with no one to let him know what was going on. "You said it wouldn't take long, Buffy!"

Willow slipped into the room. "Where's Buffy?" she asked.

"How the hell should I know? Not like anyone tells me. But I'll take a stab in the dark. Probably getting busy with the big soul-having wanker in his penthouse, right above my head. Speaking of getting busy, don't you have some spell-casting you should be doing? Well? Do I have my soul back yet?"

"Obviously not," Willow said. "I need to find…"

"Buffy!" Spike called, as she entered.

"How's Angel?" Willow asked.

"He'll be fine, Willow. What's wrong?"

"Something's wrong?" Spike threw himself forward against the bars as Willow whispered to Buffy. "Speak up! This concerns me too, don't it?" Spike was frustrated. "You having spell troubles, Red?"

Buffy turned to him. "Spike, we'll get your soul back. Will's working on it. It just might take a little longer, that's all." She pulled Willow out of the room and shut the door.

"How much longer?" Spike yelled after them.

….

The gypsy curse didn't work on Spike. Like his soul was already held by stronger magic. Buffy and Willow decided they needed to go back to the mansion where Spike and Angel had had their souls taken.

"I don't want you to go," Angel told them when they went upstairs to inform him. He was showered and changed. He was still healing from the beating Spike had given him but otherwise was looking pretty much recovered from his soulless jaunt. "You're gonna see what Spike and I did."

"What did you do?" Willow asked.

"Slaughtered everyone there. It's not gonna be a pretty sight."

Willow looked horrified.

"They were all demons though, right?" Buffy reminded him.

"Yeah," Angel nodded slowly. "Pretty sure."

"Will and I can handle it," Buffy assured him.

….

Spike was pacing in the cage. It was killing his leg, but he didn't care. If only someone would have the decency to tell him what was happening. He started yelling for Buffy again.

It wasn't Buffy but Fred you came into the room, despite the slayer having told them in no uncertain to stay away from Spike until she got back.

"Fred," Spike stopped pacing and watched as she walked up to the cage and stood just beyond arm's reach. "Don't think I'm not glad to see you, love," he warned her, "but you shouldn't be in here."

"And you shouldn't be in there. Not after what you did for us. It's not fair."

"No, it's bloody not, but… Fred, listen to me. Buffy's right. I'm not quite myself. I know it. I can feel it. The lack of it. It might be best if you…"

"You saved us. Why?" She faced Spike.

"I don't want to hurt you, Fred," he peered at her side on from the shadows. "I'd never want to hurt you. Any of you." His expression darkened. "Except him, of course."

"Who?"

"Angel."

"You mean Angelus."

"The one and the same, baby."

"So you just wanted to get back at him? You did all this because you hate Angel so much?"

"I didn't do it for hate, I did it for…"

"Love?"

He grabbed her by the throat. "You think you got it all figured out? Aint you the know-it-all. Then tell me this: Why don't I have my soul back yet? Where's Buffy and the little witch? I know they're keeping something from me!"

"The gypsy curse didn't work. They went to the mansion. To discover what kind of enchantment took your souls. Try to figure out another way."

"Try? Bloody hell. So they don't trust me? Why should I trust them? They expect me to sit tight and wait? For what? 'Til they give up and come to stake me? Since when's anyone looking out for Spike? Bloody before _never_ , that's when! Guess some things never change. Want something done, gotta do it myself. Same as always." He changed to his vampire face. "And you're gonna help me, Fred."

"How?" Fred asked wide-eyed in horror.

He shook her menacingly. "Just scream like the scared little girl you are." When she didn't Spike frowned in annoyance. "Well, go on. Or do I have to snap your twiggy arms to make you?" He gripped her arms roughly and began to twist.

Fred screamed.

Gunn and Wesley came running into the room.

"Let me out, or I'll snap her scrawny neck," Spike threatened. "I know neither of you boys could live with that."

"Give him the keys," Gunn said straight away.

With fumbling hands Wesley pulled out the keys.

"No!" Fred shook her head. "He's bluffing."

"I don't think he is Fred," Wesley shook his head. "You're being naïve. We can't trust him."

"You really think I'm bluffing?" Spike asked her with a menacing grin. "I'd kill you and drain you for the sheer pleasure of it. I don't have a soul you stupid bint. What's stopping me?"

"Love," Fred told him. "What would Buffy think, Spike? Would she ever forgive you?"

"Shut up," Spike hissed. "Gimme the keys Wes, and I'll let your little tramp go."

Wesley hesitated.

Spike became impatient. "Gimme the bloody keys!"

The room was suspended in tense silence. Spike was on edge, his face pale, his eyes dark and glaring. "Fine," he relented at last. "Then say goodbye." His grip on Fred tightened as he pulled her close and whispered "Goodbye Fred." Then with a snap of his wrists he flung her away. Immediately Gunn and Wesley pulled her to safety, to find with amazement and relief that she was still alive, barely even hurt.

"Spike?" Gunn asked curiously.

"Get the bloody hell away from me, the lot of you! Don't you know enough to listen to the slayer's orders?" Spike yelled angrily over his shoulder, turning from them.

"Why's he so angry?" Gunn asked.

"It's an effect of losing his soul I expect." Wesley explained.

"You think I'm angry cos I don't have a soul?" Spike turned. "I'm angry cos I _lost_ my soul! It wasn't supposed to be possible. Not like Angel's curse. I fought for my soul! I earned it. It was supposed to be permanent! There's a cheating lying demon in a cave deep in Africa who's gonna get what's coming to him when I get out of here!"

"We're not letting you out Spike," Wesley told him bluntly. "No matter what you say."

Spike lost it. His face changed and he lunged at them, violently throwing himself against the bars. They quickly left the room, retreating to Wesley's office. Together they tried to make sense of what had just happened, to the muted background sounds of Spike's raging in the next room. In was not long before Angel entered the room. He still had some gashes and bruises visible, but was looking much better than when they had last seen him. His dark eyes shone with remorse.

"I don't care what you say, I'm letting Spike out," Angel announced. "Wes, give me the keys."


	6. Released

"Let me get this straight," Wesley frowned. "You want to let an infamous soulless vampire, William the Bloody no less, out of that cage to roam free? And your reason is because he's upset? At us?" Wesley asked, beginning to question whether Angel had fully regained his senses after having his soul returned.

"When you put it like that, it sounds kinda crazy, huh?" Angel admitted.

They all nodded, but Angel seemed to have made up his mind.

"Just give me the keys, Wes," he held out his hand.

"Not until you talk me through your logic, Angel. I'm not convinced you're thinking straight," Wesley cautioned. "After all, you've been through a lot tonight."

"Yeah," Gunn agreed. "Getting your soul removed, slaughtering a shitload of demons, getting the crap beat out of you by your evil best bud, getting your soul returned, your ex turning up unexpectedly…"

"I'm fine."

"Buffy advised us not to go near Spike until she returns," Wesley reminded.

"Was he throwing himself against the bars when she left?" Angel asked in frustration.

"No, but…"

"Besides, Buffy's not here now. I am."

"Angel, we can't let things get out of hand," Wesley insisted.

"Things are already out of hand, Wes," Angel snapped. He turned to Fred. "What happened Fred? What did you do? What did you say to him?"

"I was stupid," she admitted sheepishly, lowering the icepack from her neck. "He wanted to know what was happening. So I told him Willow's spell hadn't worked, that she and Buffy had left to try and find out why. I thought it might reassure him, but now he's worried we can't restore his soul. I should never have gone in there. But I… I really just wanted to thank him for what he did, you know? I guess I felt sorry for him."

"Yeah, I understand." Angel sighed. He paused, listening to Spike yelling out again. "But now it sounds like he's really losing it. I can't leave him in there like that. I'm letting him out." Angel got to his feet and grabbed Wesley's wrist, ready to pry the keys from his hand if necessary.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Wesley questioned.

"This isn't Angelus, Wes. It's just Spike."

" _Evil_ Spike," Gunn pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's still Spike," Angel argued. "The same annoying idiot he always is. You see it, right? He's lost his soul but he's still trying to be the champion, the dumbass." When the others didn't respond, Angel continued. "Look, he's trying do the right thing, as far as he understands it. Sure, without a soul, his motives are not exactly pure. I don't care about that. Think about this from him perspective. He saved us all. And we put him in a cage. And now he's hurting himself. I'm not leaving him in there."

"You're releasing him because he's becoming more violent?" Wesley pointed out. "That's hardly sound reasoning."

"Then how's this reasoning," Angel countered in vexation, "He's going to remember how we treated him when he gets his soul back."

"You don't think he'll understand?" Gunn asked. "You seem okay with the treatment Angelus got."

Angel's face darkened. "That's different," he said quietly.

"Why?"

"I don't know, Gunn. It just is. Guess I've had practice," Angel admitted. "I can compartmentalise. But, Spike? He's only had his soul back for, what, a couple of years, if that. I just don't think he can separate it all out like I do." Angel sighed. "What I'm saying is, it matters how we treat him. Whatever harm he suffers, it's not going to miraculously vanish when his soul's returned. It doesn't work like that. And I'm not just talking about physical harm. He's… kinda sensitive." They still seemed dubious. "Guys I know you're worried, but I'll watch him. I won't let him hurt anyone."

"Are you sure you can stop him? He almost killed you only a few hours ago," Wesley reminded Angel.

"He wasn't trying to kill me, Wes."

"Just beat you to a bloody pulp," Gunn pointed out.

"Yeah, he did that all right," Angel admitted in irritation. "But I'm healed up nearly as good as new now. You guys realise I heal up faster than normal right?"

"Of course. You're a vampire. But so is Spike," Wesley pointed out.

Realising they didn't understand exactly what he meant, Angel explained. "Look guys, I heal faster than most vampires, including Spike. He can take a hell of a lot in battle, when he wants to, maybe more than I can. But he doesn't heal as fast as I do. So yeah, he beat me. But he knows he can't take me on again. Not anytime soon. Seriously, I don't think he'll even try."

Through the wall they heard Spike calling out again, and pounding the bars. "Buffy! Angel! Fred? Gunn? Where is everybody? Sick bastards the lot of you! Let me out!" He was beginning to sound less and less angry and more miserable and pathetic. "Just let me out!"

Wesley let Angel take the keys and no one objected when Angel left the room to release Spike.

….

Angel walked into his office flanked by Gunn and Wesley who had insisted on bringing their crossbows. Spike was silent as they approached, and didn't even move from where he crouched, a caged animal, his head hanging against the bars, watching from under dark brows. Angel walked right up and started unlocking the cage.

"What are you doing?" Spike asked warily.

"I'm letting you out." Angel told him. He could see bruises starting to show up across Spike's neck and face. Angel knew some of the damage was his doing, but some also was self-inflicted.

"Really? Why? Have you lost your soul again?" Spike smirked. "Wait, that wouldn't make sense either."

"This cage was never meant for you," Angel told him.

Spike smiled. "Well, look who's come over all soulful and repentant. Feeling bad for what you've done to me?" He asked slyly. "Cos the feeling's not mutual, you know."

Angel swung the door of the cage wide. "Can you walk? I kind of remember crushing your leg. Sorry about that." He held out his hand.

Spike hesitated a moment, then clasped Angel's arm. Angel pulled him to his feet and Spike steadied himself against the other vampire. "Still hate your guts, you know," Spike assured him.

"I know," Angel said simply.

Angel helped Spike slowly across the room to the sofa. Gunn and Wesley lowered their weapons as they quickly realised Angel was right about Spike. It seemed he could barely walk. And as he came into the light they could see welts and gashes swelling up on his pale flesh. He was hardly in any condition to attack any of them.

"You heard from Buffy?" Spike asked Angel, after he crumpled onto the sofa with a grimace, pulling his coat around himself and glancing around warily.

"Not yet."

"How they gonna get my soul back? The witch and the Slayer, they got some kind of plan, right?"

"Course they do. They'll figure it out," Angel assured him. He turned to Gunn and Wesley and asked one of them to go to Spike's apartment and get him some clean clothes. His current clothes were ripped and covered in the blood of various demons including his own.

"In the meantime, what? You on babysitting duties, until then?" Spike asked him.

"Something like that," Angel agreed, as Gunn and Wesley left the room. "You what me to reset your leg? Make sure it heals right?" Angel offered, sitting down next to the wounded vampire.

Spike sniggered darkly. "I knew it. Soul or no soul you just jump at a chance to inflict pain. Especially on me." He grinned ruefully. "Still the sadistic bastard. Comfort to know some things don't change, right?"

"Hey, I was offering to help," Angel retorted. Spike was annoying him already. "If it hurts, that's just a bonus."

Spike shrugged. "It's only right you should hate me. I betrayed you."

"You betrayed Angelus," Angel clarified. "For which I'm very grateful."

"I betrayed _you_ , Angel." Spike glared at him, a snarl on his lips.

Angel held Spike's gaze. Maybe one day Spike would understand. He still felt Angelus's anger and hatred of Spike's betrayal, but the feelings had been tempered into something new, by the influence of his soul. That Spike had so unhesitatingly turned on him and fought him so ruthlessly, filled him something akin to family pride. Angel smiled almost to himself. "Yeah, whatever."

"And I'd do it again, in a heartbeat. Right now, as a matter of fact, if I thought I stood a chance…" Spike's voice faltered and his eyes darted across to the corner of the room, searching for something.

"What are you looking at?" Angel asked.

"Dunno. Thought I saw…" Spike frowned. "Movement in the shadows."

Angel spun about to find one of the demon-lord's miserable looking minions, timidly approaching, holding something draped in a ragged cloth.

"I thought we slaughtered all your lot," Angel told it indifferently, not too alarmed.

"I have tracked you here," the minion spoke in a raspy voice. "For the time of the human sacrifice draws near. We must crown our new demon-lord. He must take his rightful place and with the sacrifice our full power will be restored."

"We killed your evil master," Angel swatted the small demon away like an annoying fly. "No more human sacrifice. No new demon-lord. It's over. Sorry, pal."

"But you are wrong. He who has slain the demon-lord will take his place," the creepy little demon revealed. "Once he dons this crown," the horrid little demon pulled the cloth aside to reveal the delicately wrought golden crown that the demon-lord had worn, "he will be granted his rightful power and all that he deserves."


	7. Crowned

"Give me that thing," Angel grabbed the shiny crown. He was a little annoyed that the small demon had managed to get into the building without them knowing. "I told you it's over, you little rat. There's not going to be another demon-lord." He tried to destroy the crown in his hands. Gold was a soft metal. He should have been able to twist and snap the crown easily. "Arrggg!" Angel became frustrated. "Is this some kind of magic crown?"

"Of course." The demon nodded. "It can only be destroyed by the rightful owner, the demon-lord himself… or he who has slain the demon-lord."

"But _I_ killed the demon-lord!" Angel insisted.

"Well technically Angel, you _tortured_ him by cutting out his still beating heart, while _I_ hacked off his head," Spike pointed out quietly with a shrewd sideways glance at Angel.

"Only because I told you to," Angel countered.

"Doesn't matter," Spike quickly reached over and snatched the crown from Angel's fingers. "This is mine."

"Fine. Whatever. You destroy it then," Angel said in annoyance.

Spike chuckled as he lifted the delicate crown. "Now why the bloody hell would I want to do that?"

"Spike, no!"

It was too late. Spike placed the delicate ornate crown on his head. It fit as though made for him, the gleam of yellow gold standing out against his pale skin and blonde hair.

"Wow. You should've auditioned for lord of the rings," Angel commented. Spike looked quite Tolkeinesque. "Never seen you in a tiara before. You look real pretty."

"It's a crown!" Spike yelled in anger, rising to his feet. " _My_ crown!" His anger turned to surprise when he felt the demon energy flowing from the crown through his body. "A crown that comes with some nifty super powers apparently," he said almost to himself. Then he looked up at Angel with a gleeful grin.

"What?" Angel asked.

Enthusiastically Spike grabbed Angel and started hauling him across the room to the cage.

"Hey, Spike! What are you doing? Stop! This is crazy!" Angel struggled, but it was apparent that Spike was stronger than him now. He tried to pry the crown from the other vampire's head but it was stuck firmly in place, as if held by some type of magic super glue. Spike just laughed at Angel's feeble attempts.

"You were right about one thing, Angel," Spike told him wrestling the keys from him. "When you said this cage wasn't meant for me. We both know who it _is_ meant for!"

"You don't want to do this, Spike," Angel cautioned.

"Oh, but I do. I _really_ do!" Spike threw Angel into the cage and slammed it shut. "Thanks for letting me out, by the way. Never could've got this crown through those bars, you know. Awful kind of you. Guess I owe you one. Not that I care."

"Spike…" Angel clenched his fists in frustration, feeling him empty pocket. Spike had taken the keys to the cage. But before Angel could figure out what to say, the diminutive demon minion spoke to Spike.

"My lord, now that you are crowned, our full strength returns." He grew in stature until he was no longer a weakling but a powerfully muscled, six-foot demon. And then before their eyes that single demon began to replicate himself magically until a whole row of demons stood and bowed before Spike. "My lord what would you command us to do?" the demon minions asked in unison.

At that moment the door opened and Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Lorne entered.

"Grab them," Spike ordered casually. "Throw them in the cage with Angel."

The demon minions obeyed, grabbing the three humans and Lorne as well. Angel's team fought back and there was a brief struggle, but the minions were strong and they outnumbered Lorne and the three humans. Spike opened the cage and shut the door with a heavy clang once they were all inside.

"What are you doing Spike? Just stop and think this through a moment, okay?"

"Okay," Spike agreed. "Let me think, is this really what I want to do? Yeah, it _is_!"

"Buffy and Willow will be back anytime now," Angel cautioned. "You want them to catch you acting this way? What do you think they'll do to you? Spike, this is no time for revenge!"

"Revenge? You think this is revenge? I'm not like you Angel. I'm above such things. I'm a champion, remember," Spike told him confidently.

"Right. Of course. Then what do you call it?" Angel was sarcastic.

"I call it a lesson in gratitude," Spike sniffed smugly. "After everything I've done for all of you, you lock me in a cage, don't tell me nothing about what's happening! Not one of you had the decency to say thank you or treat me with a scrap of respect."

"Except Fred. And look what she got for trying!" Gunn pointed out angrily.

Spike looked at the bruises on Fred's arm that she tried to cover up, looking embarrassed. "And who's to blame for that?" he yelled. The sight of what he'd done seemed to make him angry. "You and Wesley Wyndham-Ponce, that's who! Should've done what I asked, not locked me up like some kind of criminal. Now see how _you_ lot like it!" Then he turned and strode towards the door. Angel noticed Spike was not limping anymore. The demon magic seemed to have healed all his wounds and given him extra-strength – and just the hint of a faint golden glow too.

"Spike, where are you going?" Angel called out.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"You can't just leave us here!"

"Wait, my lord!" one of the minions stepped forward. "The vampire speaks truth! It is time for the human sacrifice. You must complete the ritual."

Spike seemed annoyed. "I don't care about rituals and sacrifice. It's all bollocks. I do what I want!" Spike brushed him aside.

"But my lord, you don't understand! Each new moon we must give an offering of worthy human souls, to retain our powers in this dimension. If the sacrifice does not occur, our power, _your_ power, diminishes."

"Fine, then. Whatever. Worthy souls, huh?" Spike glanced around. "Like these?" he asked, pointing at Gunn, Wesley and Fred.

"This one is also worthy, my lord," a demon said pointing to Angel. "He has a soul."

Spike paused, a smile spreading across his face. "Bring out the three humans. And the green one too, just for the hell of it," he commanded tossing him the keys. "But the vampire stays in the cage."

"Yes, my lord. Whatever you command my lord." The minions roughly grabbed Gunn, Wesley, Fred and Lorne, dragging them out of the cage.

Spike noticed Angel eyeing the keys in one of the minion's hands. Angrily he sped over there lightning fast to slam the cage door shut before Angel could move. He grabbed the keys back and flung them angrily across the room. "You, stay in the cage, Angelus!" Spike told him hatefully. "Where you belong!"

"I'm not Angelus," Angel told Spike, "I'm Angel now, remember?"

"You might be Angelus again soon enough," Spike threatened. "It's up to you."

"What are you talking about?" Angel asked. What was Spike's next insane scheme going to be?

Spike hopped up and reclined on Angel's desk, in a careless fashion, ignoring the paperwork that fell to the floor. "What am I talking about? I'm talking about how this ritual sacrifice might pan out." He smirked as the four demon minions holding Angel's team captive stepped forward grabbing their captives by their necks, ready to snap them on their lord's command.

Idly Spike picked up a weapon that happened to be sitting on Angel's desk. He grabbed it and twirled it in his hand, holding Angel in suspense. "Well," he stopped and looked Angel in the face. "I'm ready, when you are."

"Ready? For what?" Angel asked from behind the bars.

"Your mission, of course," Spike explained. "To negotiate with the demon-lord on the whole human sacrifice shindig. Isn't that what you set out to do tonight? Well? Get on with it!" Spike leaned back. "I'm a reasonable demon lord. So go ahead. Negotiate with me."

Angel paused, then spoke lowly, "Spike, listen to me. Fred, Wes, Gunn and Lorne are your friends. You're _not_ gonna sacrifice them."

"Wow. You really do suck at this negotiating business!" Spike told Angel with a chuckle. "See you just used an imperative, Angel. A command. A conditional sentence might be more appropriate in these circumstances, don't you think?"

"What is this, a grammar lesson?" Angel quipped with frustration. "Don't be a smartass."

"Just trying to help." Spike continued. "Maybe something like: _If_ you let my friends go, _then_ you can take my soul instead."

"If you take my soul, I'll turn back into Angelus."

"Now you're getting it!" Spike pretended to consider the offer. "Hmmm, three worthy souls for the soul of a champion. Seems a fair deal. Wait, if your soul's gone for good, do you think Buffy would let me stake you?"

"Never," Angel said darkly. "She'd wanna do it herself."

"Dammit!" Spike swore angrily.

"And then she'd kill you for letting it happen," Angel continued.

"You're making me very angry!" Spike jumped up. "Not sure that's in your best interests, Angel."

"Or yours. You complete this ritual sacrifice, you seal your status as a demon-lord – you're bound to it for all eternity. Is that really what you want, Spike?"

Spike gestured at the demon minions. "Having folks who listen to me? Do what I ask? Who are _loyal_? Why the hell wouldn't I want that?"

"This isn't the way."

"Don't look like I'll get it any other way. I'll take what I can get."

"Spike, you do this, you can never have your soul back." Angel told him.

"You don't know that."

"Don't I?" Angel bluffed. "You fought for your soul. I know how important that is to you. You gonna give it up this easily?"

"What is a soul anyway?" Spike asked, becoming philosophical. He paced back and forth. "I mean really? I _choose_ to get my soul back. Fought and suffered for it. But… didn't really turn out how I thought. Am I really better off with a soul?" He shrugged. "Maybe… it's not worth it, after all." He looked to see what Angel thought of that.

Angel sighed. "Spike, your soul is worth something. Believe me."

"Oh, you think so _now_?" Spike was almost incredulous. "You been teasing me for months about how little it changed me."

"Spike, I was wrong," Angel admitted. He could see that now.

Spike stopped pacing. "Say that again."

Angel gritted his teeth in annoyance. "I was wrong."

"I like the sound of that."

The two vampires stared at each other in tense silence.

At that moment Buffy burst in. "Spike, what is going on?" Buffy asked in exasperation. "I leave you alone for twenty minutes and… How'd you get out? And why are you wearing a tiara?" She suddenly noticed Spike's latest accessory.

"It's a crown," Spike insisted through clenched teeth.

"I let him out," Angel admitted from behind the bars. "He was hurting himself. I was worried about him. It didn't seem fair."

"Better than him hurting anyone else!" Buffy pointed out in exasperation, surveying the scene.

"Yeah. I see that now. I was wrong."

"Again," Spike smirked.

"Oh for god's sake, the two of you!" Buffy strode forward, rolling her eyes. "Spike, what the hell do you think you're doing?" she scolded, then turned to Angel in the cage. "Are you okay, Angel? Where's the key?"

"Spike threw it across the room."

"Spike?" Buffy gave him a hard stare.

Spike waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's no big deal. It's over there somewhere. Under the sofa, I think."

Buffy went over and bent down to find the keys. Spike followed. "Buffy, you don't have to get on your hands and knees. I'll get one of my minions to find it…" Then he stopped and started checking out her ass. "Then again, if you insist…"

Once Buffy had the key she quickly let Angel out, and turned to scold Spike again. "Spike, it's not nice to take your friends captive when they're trying to help you," she reprimanded as you would to a small child.

"Exactly!" Spike complained, following on her heels, as she went across the room to where the minions stood holding a terrified Fred and Lorne and a very angry Gunn and Wesley, both still struggling against the powerful demons. "You tell them, Buffy! How dare they treat me that way! They deserve to be taught a lesson!"

"What?" Buffy turned to him, confused. "Who exactly are _you_ trying to help right now Spike? Huh? How does this make any kind of sense in that twisted brain of yours? This better not be what it looks like!"

"What's it look like?" Spike asked innocently.

"Some kind of demon ritual? A _human sacrifice_?"

"Oh, please! I don't care about such nonsense," Spike assured her, brushing it off. "It was just a bit of fun. I was juste giving Angel a lesson in… grammar, and negotiation… or something. Had it all under control. Wasn't planning on _hurting_ anyone… much!"

"Looks like your faithful minions have other ideas," Buffy commented. The demon minions had begun chanting and before their eyes a swirly dimensional portal opened in the middle of the room. "Help!" Fred screamed before a demon clapped his hand over her mouth, muffling her screams. Gunn, Wes and Fred were being dragged towards the portal.

"What the hell? I didn't tell them to do that!" Spike defended. "Stop it, you morons! Close that portal thingy, now! Let them go!"

"Gee," Buffy said dryly, when Spike's words had no effect. "Must be nice to have such loyal subjects."

"Guess we'll do this the old fashioned way," Angel said, and together the three of them, Spike, Buffy and Angel, attacked the demon minions.


	8. Broken

With Buffy, Angel and Spike working together the fight was soon over. The demon minions overpowered and Angel's team was rescued before they could be sacrificed. Once the last demon minion was slain, at Spike's hand, the portal to the demon dimension closed for good and the demon corpses disintegrated into grey ash.

"Nice work, amigos," Lorne's relief was obvious. "Now all we need is a good dust buster, vacuum this all away, and we can put this whole nasty saga behind us."

"Not quite," Buffy said, facing Spike and holding out her hand. "Spike, give me that crown."

Spike frowned "Why should I?" he replied stubbornly. "I won this fair and square. Not my job to supply you with jewels and trinkets."

"Let me explain." Willow entered the room, with a large spell book she'd taken from the demon-lord's mansion. "Spike, I can't return your soul unless you give up the crown. It turns out your soul was bound by the demon-lord's strongest magic. It will only return to you once every trace of that power is destroyed."

"How come you could restore Angel's soul?" Spike asked warily.

"The gypsy curse is a relatively easy curse to break," Willow shrugged. "Angel's soul was a cinch to remove. Yours however, is an entirely different matter. Spike, the magic that binds your soul to you is so strong it cannot be permanently broken. At least not by a mere demon-lord. If I've done the metaphysical math right, once that crown is destroyed, your soul should automatically return to you." She paused. "I'm pretty sure."

"You're _pretty_ sure?" Spike frowned. "Don't much like the sound of that, Red. Can't you be _absolutely_ sure?"

Willow shook her head. "We're dealing with layers upon layers of complicated spells here," Willow tried to explain. "Sorry."

"So how do we destroy it?" Buffy asked grabbing a large axe from the wall behind Angel's desk. "This should do the trick, right?" She made a grab for the crown on Spike's head. He dodged out of her way.

"Only the demon-lord can destroy the crown," Angel told her. "That means Spike has to do it."

Buffy thought a moment then handed the axe to the soulless vampire.

"You think this is gonna work? Does Red know what she's on about?" he asked sceptically.

"You want your soul back, right?" Buffy asked him seriously. "This is the only way, Spike. You have to give up the demon-lord's power."

Spike looked at her. "'Course I want my soul back. 'Course I do," He repeated as if he had to constantly remind himself. "So all I have to do is destroy the crown, and my soul is returned?" Spike asked.

Buffy nodded. "And a long line of evil demon-lords comes to an end, putting a stop to all those human sacrifices forever. Bonus."

"But I wouldn't take too long to decide," Willow warned. "The longer your soul is in limbo like this the harder it will be for it to find its way back to you. If you wait too long, your soul could be trapped between layers of magic forever."

"You better be right about this, witch," Spike glared.

Spike glanced at each of them in turn, then set his jaw. He took off the crown and dropped it to the floor with a clink. "Couldn't stand wearing that poncy thing for eternity anyway." He swung the axe and smashed the crown in two. Before their eyes it turned to ash just like the demon minions had done. The spell book in Willow's hands also crumbled away. With all the demon-lord's power gone, Spike stumbled on his once again injured leg.

"Spike?" Buffy grabbed him, seeing cuts and bruises reappearing, as the faint golden glow around him faded away forever.

"I'm okay," Spike said through gritted teeth, trying to pull himself up. "Just gotta sit down a minute is all."

Angel helped him to the sofa.

"Does he have his soul back now?" Fred asked the question that was on all of their minds.

"I'm not sure," Willow and the others followed Angel to the sofa. "Spike?"

Spike looked up at Willow and the others who were waiting expectantly. He swallowed and told them the bad news. "Looks like I look a gamble and lost," he grinned wryly. "'Spose you gonna lock me up again?"

"You don't have it back? Are you sure?" Willow's face fell. "Maybe I should do a spell to check."

"Bloody hell! You think I can't tell?" Spike became irritated. "Think I can't _feel_ the difference? The emptiness inside?"

They all gazed at him in horrified pity and regret.

"Oh God! This is a bloody disaster!" Spike groaned. "You know, if you're planning to stake me, just get it over with! No need to draw things out."

"Wait, let's not give up just yet," Willow cautioned. "The magics may take a moment or two to unravel. We need to be patient."

They all waited awkwardly for a good few minutes.

"Can you feel anything happening? At all?" Angel questioned Spike.

"You want to know what I _feel_?" Spike asked bitterly. "I can feel my head aching like a ton of bricks and my bloody leg is _bloody_ killing me, thanks to you, Angel." He winced as he shifted his weight on the sofa.

"Right," Angel decided. "You need to get some rest, Spike. I'll take you upstairs. Wes, you got the first aid kit? We'll clean him up."

"But what about my soul?" Spike asked warily. "What about me being an evil thing and a danger to you all?"

"I'll keep an eye on you," Angel told him. "And meanwhile, Willow's gonna figure out another way to…"

"But Angel," Willow objected, but Angel spoke over her.

"Another way to get your soul back. Okay?"

"Okay," Willow said reluctantly, not knowing what else to do. She glanced at Buffy sadly. She had already tried everything she could think of.

The others watched sadly as Angel and Wesley helped the injured and still soulless Spike upstairs. "Who else could use a stiff drink or two?" Lorne suggested. "I'm taking orders."


	9. Returned

While Lorne served up drinks, Fred turned to Buffy and Willow. "So, how well did you know Spike before he had a soul?" she wanted to know.

"Pretty well, actually," Buffy admitted, as Willow flashed her a sideways glance.

"We all knew him," Willow agreed, swiftly adding, "although not as well as Buffy!"

"Why? How?" Fred was curious. "I mean it's hardly as though you would've been hanging out with a soulless vampire. Was he, like, your mortal enemy or something?"

"Not really," Buffy shrugged. "Mostly he helped us. Annoyed us a lot, of course, but he was basically part of the team."

"How did that work? Him being evil and soulless and all?" Fred looked confused, as did Gunn, Lorne, and even Wesley.

"It was a gradual thing. Of course initially he came to Sunnydale to kill Buffy," Willow explained. "And he gave it a couple of good shots. But then he sided with Buffy to defeat Angelus."

"So he _really_ hates Angel," Gunn observed.

"I dunno," Willow admitted. "It's more of a vampire rivalry thing. I think he mostly did it for his girlfriend. Drusilla. She's out of the picture now, of course."

"Dead?" Fred asked.

"Not as far as I know," Buffy shook her head. "Just evil and crazy."

"Oh. And after that Spike just became… part of your team?" Fred asked sceptically. "With no soul?"

"No soul, but he did have a government chip in his head," Willow explained. "It meant he couldn't hurt humans. Only demons."

"And me," Buffy reminded Willow. "Look, I get that this sounds weird to you guys but it worked out at the time. Mostly. I mean he did try to kill us all on the odd occasion, but no one's perfect, right? Besides, it's all in the past. Eventually Spike got his soul back and turned all-the-way good. Saved us all in the hellmouth."

"But it's not in the past now is it?" Fred pointed out. "He's soulless again. Maybe permanently. And he doesn't have a government chip anymore, right? What are we going to do?" Fred asked. "You said yourself we can't trust him."

Buffy looked solemn. "I don't know," she admitted sadly, taking another gulp of her drink.

In was not long before Angel and Wesley came down to join them. Lorne handed them drinks. Angel frowned at his rather fancy cocktail. "What is this?" he asked Lorne.

"Trust me, you'll like it," Lorne told him, revealing nothing.

Angel shrugged and sat down, taking a sip.

"So, how's Spike?" Fred asked, before he could even get comfortable.

"Er, he's… okay," Angel said awkwardly. "Or he will be. In a few days. I feel kinda bad about it. I shouldn't have beat him up so hard. I should never have hurt him like that."

"It wasn't you," Wesley reminded him. "It was Angelus."

"Yeah, I know," Angel said broodily, sipping on his drink.

"Did you… chain him up?" Gunn asked.

"No," Angel shifted awkwardly. "No, of course I didn't chain him up. I'm not a monster. Not anymore."

"So… what's he doing right now?" Fred asked. "Is he resting? Did you lock the room?"

"He's just staring at the wall," Angel told them.

"I'm going up there," Buffy got up decisively.

"What? No, Buffy, you don't," Angel stopped her. "He doesn't want to see you. I'm sorry."

"I don't care what he wants, Angel. Why have you gone soft on him? You know him. You know what he's like. WE can't leave a soulless Spike unsupervised. God knows what kind of chaos could happen!"

"Oh, did I forget to mention…" Angel began.

"Mention what?"

"Spike's got his soul back." Angel told them.

"What? When?" Buffy asked. "How?"

"Just a few minutes after Wes and I took him upstairs. His eyes sort of flashed momentarily, and then he was back. I guess it just look a little time. Like Willow said."

"Oh, God, you don't know how relieved I am!" Willow breathed.

"You know, that really should have been the first thing you told us!" Buffy chastised Angel in relief, giving him a restrained punch in the arm.

"Ouch! Okay, my bad," Angel admitted.

"Everything's good now then!" Fred gushed. "These can be proper celebration drinks rather than worried commiseration drinks. But, Spike should be here. So we can do a toast or something."

"Yeah, like I said," Angel repeated. "He doesn't want to see anyone. I don't think he feels he can look any of us in the eye right now. Especially you, Fred."

"But he's our hero. He saved us all. He doesn't have anything to feel guilty about. The whole time, he was trying to help."

"I guess he did come 'round," Buffy admitted. "He chose to have his soul returned. For the second time. That's not something I can see Angelus doing – ever."

"True," Angel admitted. "Look guys, I should probably take this opportunity to apologise. My actions endangered us all tonight. I should never have rushed into that demon-lord's mansion without doing the research and reading the fine print. Without consulting with my team. I should not have let this happen. If Spike hadn't insisted on tagging along, things would've gone down a lot worse. This is on my head. I messed up. I'm sorry."

"We appreciate the apology, Angel," Wesley assured him. "But don't be too hard on yourself. We can all be caught by surprise. Let's just all be thankful that Spike was there and that things have been resolved now."

"I really wish we could thank him in person. Angel, are you sure you can't persuade him to join us?" Fred asked. "I don't like to think of him all alone at a time like this."

"Fine," Angel relented. "I'll try and persuade him to come down."


	10. Ending

"Don't make a fuss," Spike told them avoiding eye contact as Angel, having eventually persuaded him to come downstairs, helped him get seated on the sofa. Wesley jumped up to change seats, offering him the footstool for his injured leg and Fred reached for cushions. "Don't. Or I'll bloody well leave for good," Spike swore. He was almost regretting coming down already. Even without looking up he could feel their eyes on him, and right now that was the last thing he wanted. He was still feeling raw and fragile from the impact of his soul returning, like all his defences had been stripped away. It also didn't help that he was injured. The pain from his leg especially left him feeling drained. Angel had insisted on re-setting his broken leg properly right away and it was going to take some healing. He just hoped he didn't look as fragile as he felt. He glanced up momentarily to find them all looking at him expectantly. Fred was smiling encouragingly, as were Wesley and Lorne. Gunn leaned on the arm of the sofa. Buffy and Willow sat on the opposite couch. "Er…" He sniffed self-consciously. "Sorry to disappoint. Haven't exactly prepared a speech."

"Oh. Of course not. We don't expect you to..." Wesley began.

"We're just happy Angel convinced you to join us." Fred smiled. "You shouldn't be sitting all alone up there. You should be with your friends, and help us celebrate. You don't have to say anything. I mean you can if you want to of course, but it doesn't have to be a proper speech like Angel gave…"

"Angel did a speech?" Spike asked, looking side-long at other vampire.

"He did," Gunn pointed out. "But it was lame."

"It wasn't a speech," Angel denied. "It was an apology. A much, _much_ needed apology."

"So I gotta do one of them too then? An apology?" Spike asked Angel. Buffy observed that Angel was the only person Spike seemed to feel comfortable talking to. He was still avoiding looking at any of the others, especially her.

"No, of course not," Angel snorted. "Fred's right. You don't have to say anything."

"Spike, you don't have anything to apologise for," Fred gushed. "You were amazing!"

"Yeah," Gunn agreed. "She's not wrong. You saved us all from Angelus, man. We wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. He would've killed us all, one way of another, isn't that right Angel?"

"One way or another," Angel agreed darkly.

"Not only that," Wesley added. "But you managed to end a centuries old demon pact, putting a stop to its barbaric human sacrifice rituals forever. It is a significant achievement. Not at all bad for a night's work."

Spike hung his head. "That was incidental. You know that, right? Could've gone either way. Hardly knew what I was doing."

"Hey, you stayed true to yourself," Lorne told him. "Like a real champ. Kept trying to do what you felt was right."

"I hurt Fred," Spike groaned faintly.

"I'm okay, really," Fred assured him rubbing her bruised arm. "It's not so bad. A lot worse happened to me on a regular basis in Pylea."

"Oh, I can believe that, honey," Lorne sympathised.

"I could've hurt you all," Spike insisted. "Nearly did. I could've..."

"But you didn't," Lorne reminded him. "No easy feat when you've lost your moral compass, we could all see that. The struggle. But you did what was right in the end and that's what counts," Lorne told him sincerely. "Thank the lord Buffy our amazing vampire slayer turned up!" he continued. "That was fortuitous. She seemed to know how to get through to you. You really listened to her. How'd she get the heads up so quick, anyway? Did she have a mystical slayer premonition or what?" He turned to the others.

"It was a little more than a premonition," Buffy spoke up with a smile.

"A vision?" Lorne asked, trying to sus out what kind of powers the slayer had.

"Kinda more like a phone call," Buffy admitted.

"Spike told her," Willow explained. "He called Buffy's cell phone, and told her what'd happened to Angel."

"First thing he did," Buffy told them. "Am I right?" She turned to Spike knowingly.

"I didn't even know he had your number," Angel said. "All this time."

Spike frowned and looked away from Buffy's gaze.

"God, Spike!" Buffy's frustration got the better of her. "What, you won't even look at me now?" She sighed. "You know soulless Spike may have nothing to apologise for, but I can't say the same for _you_. Angel tells me you've been back for months. _Months!_ All this time I thought you were _dead_! When exactly where you planning to tell me? Huh?" she sounded really pissed off.

"Please, Buffy," Spike begged quietly, blue eyes catching hers at last. "Can we not do this now?"

"Not _now_? Then _when_?" Buffy was exasperated. "In another five months? Or do I have to wait until you lose your soul again to hear from you?" She stared him down. "Spike, were you _ever_ planning on telling me you're alive?" Buffy finished angrily.

Spike broke her gaze and looked down again. "Honestly? I... I don't know," he stammered.

"You don't know? Great!" Buffy shook her head in exasperation. "You know, don't take this the wrong way but, if _possible_ , I think you're even _more_ infuriating _with_ a soul!"

After a moment of shock, Spike covered his face in his hands. Why had he let Angel talk him into coming downstairs? He'd known he'd have trouble keeping it together. He didn't want them all to see him like this. If it wasn't for his injured leg, he would have got up and left the room before it came to this. He tried to turn away from them, his head in his hands.

"Is he… crying?" Gunn asked.

"Surely not," Wesley said. "I've never seen Spike…"

"I think he is," Fred whispered.

"Okay, that was the wrong way," Buffy stammered, taken aback in surprise.

"Jeez, Buffy," Angel criticized. "Did you need to be so harsh? You know he's had kind of a rough night!"

"I'm sorry," Buffy apologised awkwardly.

After an awkward silence Spike uncovered his tear-stained face and spoke angrily to Buffy. "You wanna know why I didn't tell you I was alive? Here's the truth. I was doing what's best for _you_ , Buffy," he insisted. "I mean, let's be honest, I was only ever in your life for selfish reasons. You knew it and you made use of that when it suited you. Even once I got a soul I was stupidly hoping that maybe one day… But you're better off without me. We both are. You know it as well as I do," he stared her down.

Buffy didn't know what to say. "Is that what you really think?" she finally asked.

"Yeah," Spike was adamant. "Or I did… until I lost my soul last night." He cringed with shame. "First thing I did, I called Buffy," he told them all with a self-mocking laugh. "Suddenly thought I could just win her over. Take Angel out of the picture. Save the day. Just like that. Have a perfect ending." He laughed bitterly. "Bloody fool, I am."

"It wasn't you," Wesley reminded him. "Not without a soul."

"It was most of me," Spike asserted.

"Well, either way, it's not so foolish," Fred told him. "I mean, who doesn't want a perfect ending? And you did save the day."

Spike scoffed. "Hardly. Just fluke and circumstance." He took a breath. "Funny thing is, Buffy and I, we _had_ our perfect ending."

"We did?" Buffy asked confused, as well as anxious about how Angel might interpret that.

"We did." Spike looked into her eyes. "You there with me, Buffy. We stood in the hellmouth, amidst all the death and destruction. The whole world falling apart," Spike recalled, "and you told me you loved me."

"I did," Buffy paled as she remembered that moment of anguish and too-late realisation. "Right before…"

"Then I went up in flames. Died to 'save the world' I did. That was our perfect ending. Raw. Agonizing. Absolute. As perfect as they come. Guess it takes having a soul to accept that."

No one said anything until Angel commented, "Jeez Spike, soul or no soul you've always been a sentimental moron."

"Shhh!" "Shut up!" "Way to ruin the moment!" Fred, Gunn and Lorne hushed Angel.

"It was perfect," Spike continued. "And then it was over. The way it was supposed to be. All over. But I've ruined all that now."

Buffy stared back at Spike, tears welling in her eyes. Finally she spoke. "You think that was _perfect_?" Buffy cried angrily through her tears. "What is wrong with you? Watching you burn. Running away. Spike, it was horrific. Heroic on your part, sure, but _horrific_."

Spike tried to explain, "It was for the best and it was…"

"How can you _say_ that?" Buffy interrupted. "Do you _know_ how much I cried for you after you were gone? Wished I'd done something different, that there'd been another way, or at the very least that I'd burned in the hellmouth too? Listen to me, Spike," Buffy told him. "Forget perfect endings."

"Forget perfect endings?" Spike asked. "Why…"

"Because endings suck. All of them! Even the perfect ones! In fact maybe they're the worst of all!" Buffy swore fervently.

"What do you mean?"

"Spike, I'd rather have you in my life, as imperfect, annoying and frustrating as you are, than have to live without you. You lost your soul last night, but you didn't lose me. Please. Don't make this an ending when it doesn't have to be."

"What then? After I've made such a mess of everything?"

"How about… a flawed beginning?"

"A beginning." Spike sounded bewildered. "Of what?"

"It's up to you."

Spike looked at Buffy, waiting, teary-eyed for his decision. "'Spose I'll keep that number in my cell phone," he relented. "What's the worst that can happen?"

She threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad my favourite vampires refuse to stay dead," she gushed.

"Group hug?" Fred asked, and they all got in on the action.

"Seems like a perfect ending to me," Lorne observed. "Not forever, of course. Just for tonight."


End file.
